The Intentional Life

  Health. C’mon. You can do it. Almost there. One step in front of the other. Eyes up, don’t look down.   This was my inner monologue to myself this morning as I trundled through 2 miles on the treadmill. From the moment I started running this morning, I thought about being done. I appreciate the feeling of accomplishment afterwards but during the whole thing I have got to keep telling myself to keep going and finish.  Maybe it’s not running for you, but you can relate in your own life with something tough and having to keep reminding yourself to push through.  Why? Why is it such a mental and physical battle?  Because we are prone for comfort. Humans like the easy route, if at all possible. It’s what drives invention – everything we create, if you look at the core, is to make life easier, take less time doing it, and make us comfortable.  But here’s the rub: if we spend our whole life seeking comfort, desiring to remain in comfort, and making n...

  Home. Have nothing in your home that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful. William Morris I came across this quote a few years ago and I found myself nodding in agreement. It rings so true to what I desire for our home: practical and useful...but also beautiful. I'm not big on decoration just for the sake of decorating. Objects covering surfaces overwhelms me. Even if those objects are just there for decoration. So, my home trends toward empty surfaces and minimal extras. Well, as much as it can be with 3 children in the home.  I want our home to be useful: to be used as a safe place, welcoming, and comfortable. And I want it to be beautiful; and for me, less is more. The words you would use to describe your home are most likely totally different words. If you could narrow it down to a couple descriptions, what words would you use to describe what you want your home to be? Are you taking any steps to get there or, if you have already arrive...

  Thoughts. January 6th left me speechless, or more accurately, wordless. I wanted to write. I felt like I needed to write. It seemed like something needed said. But when I sat down to write, nothing came. I literally sat and stared and could not conjure up a thought. When I come to moments like that, I see it as a sign. A sign to stop trying to communicate what I want to say and stop and listen to what God is trying to tell me. So, instead of writing, I listened. Because I don’t want to write anything that isn’t first fed and watered by His Word and His Spirit. That ‘wordlessness’ went on for days. Each day I’d sit down to write and…. nothing. I guess there was more listening I needed to do. After days of listening these verses were like a cold glass of water in July, refreshing and sweet: So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of...

  Heart. As we start another year of intentional living, it's always best to begin with the heart. Because from the heart flows everything else. We may say one thing, and may even be able to 'fake' it for a time, but where our heart is, our treasure will be also. If we truly desire change and a life of intention, then our heart needs to be fixed in that direction. We are already a few days into the new year. Perhaps a few of us have already shown some backsliding on our resolutions for 2021. It's OK! We're only on day 8 of 365. Today, this week, take a moment to focus your heart, your intent. Something that we can focus so hard on when setting goals for ourselves is just that: ourselves .  Sure, we may say we want to do what God wants us to do, but then we charge ahead with OUR plan. May I suggest that as we look to live this year with intention, that our first step is to intentionally give this year to God? I have plans, dreams, goals, things I want to s...

  What are your goals for 2021? Few things can get me stressed quicker than someone asking me that question. Because of that, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day are a real struggle for me. I wrestle with all my failures from the past year, all those goals and dreams still unmet. I feel suffocated with the expectation that I need to come up with great goals and plans for the next year. It leaves me feeling anxious and depressed. Not exactly the person you want at your New Year's Eve party. Maybe you are motivated by goal setting. Perhaps setting huge goals gets you excited. It drives you forward and, even if you don't quite make the big goals, you still feel accomplished for how far you've come. For others, New Year Resolutions are just a list of things that overwhelm or something that gets dropped by the 3rd week of January. New Year Resolutions aren't a terrible thing in theory. I am all for looking for ways to improve, to continuously have a drive ...

                    Health. If I sit and dwell on what the next 24+ hours could bring, I can feel the anxiety welling up in me. I speak this for whatever the outcome may be. Whether it’s the one I voted for or not. The whole thing just starts to roil inside me. I start to go down the what-ifs and envision the worst case scenarios. My breath shortens, my shoulders tighten, and my stomach flip-flops.  And then I know I need to stop, take a few deep breaths, and remind myself of Truth.  I’ve done my part. The right to vote that was hard fought, I went and cast mine. And now I wait on Him.  In every season, the ones that feel certain and the ones that do not. We do what we can and we wait on His goodness.  And remind ourselves that He is in control. No matter what the outcome is, it will not be a surprise to Him.  If you, too, struggle with anxiety like I’m...

  Thoughts. It was one of those moments.   Each kid was occupied with a book, homework, computer game, something. All I know is that the house was quiet. I had dinner as prepped as it could be as I waited for the water to boil.   I had, essentially, a moment of quiet. An empty slot of time to do nothing but wait.   Your first thought may be, “Good for her. I never have those.” But, I’m guessing, if you thought about it, you just might.   Standing in a checkout line.   Arriving to a coffee shop before a friend.   Sitting in the van waiting on school to let out.   Standing at the counter waiting on the coffee to brew.   Throughout our day there are little moments of time where we are waiting but we may find it hard to identify them as such because we are so used to filling them up. Those scenarios I listed, how many of them would be quickly followed by: I picked up my phone or I tuned into a podcast or I turned on the radio   How often do ...